travelogue ~ portland, oregon.

Coming late to this, but I wanted to be sure to update with a Portland, Oregon post! Ben and I went up to Portland in June to celebrate our 1st anniversary. In fact, we were supposed to go in February to celebrate our birthdays but we had to cancel because of work and that turned out for the best because Portland in June is gorgeous. We had such a great weekend.

We loved Portland. It is cool and funky and friendly and easy. Here is some of what we did and additional recommendations at the bottom from our lists that we have been keeping but didn't have enough time to get to...

We flew up after work on Friday and went straight from the airport to dinner - luggage in tow. For this first dinner, we went with St. Jack in the Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood. It was a great little restaurant and we had a solid meal. Saturday morning we headed to breakfast and then grabbed a Lyft and crossed town to Nob Hill to window shop and check out the neighborhood. We tried coffee at Barista Coffee and tried Salt and Straw Ice Cream.

And from here, we walked ourselves over to the Pearl District and grabbed some afternoon beers at 10 Barrel on the rooftop. It was a gorgeous day for walking the city and that we did.

We then kept moving and headed for Maurice - the sweetest little restaurant right at the edge of Pearl District. We grabbed some lunch there. How charming is this restaurant and how beautiful this bowl of cold soup was?!

We of course made a stop at Powell's Book Store - which was awesome. And with that, we wandered back to the hotel and got ready for dinner.

Dinner on Saturday was at Ava Gene's - a beautiful, cool restaurant putting out fantastic food and phenomenal service. It feels neighborhoody and charming and we would definitely recommend it!

On Sunday, we made the most of the half day we had left in PDX. First, we headed over to Pine State Biscuits for a super decadent and full breakfast of biscuits and eggs!  We made sure to stop into the Stump town at the Ace Hotel for a cup of coffee and so both of us could get some quick work done. And then we made a pilgrimage to the original Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co store where we bought ourselves our first anniversary present we had had our eye on! And finally, we hustled over to the Japanese Garden and checked out the Rose Gardens. And that about sums up a whirlwind less than two days in Portland. We can't wait to go back at some point, we felt like we barely scratched the surface, not to mention we would love to get to the coast....

Restaurants: Tusk / Afuri / Jackrabbit / Coquine / Ox / Nostrana / Ataula / LucLac / Pok Pok Noi / Le Pigeon 

Coffee: Coava / Heart

Drink: Expatriate

Breakfast-Brunch: Tasty and Alder / Adler & Co / Byways Cafe (local stop)

Links to Articles: 36 Hours in Portland

star struck.

I went down to Los Angeles this weekend for some much needed QT with Ali and it was the perfect getaway weekend with my first lady! I had never spent any time in LA and the city is just cool. It also helped that Ali grew up there and has recently moved back and has the pulse on the city and is the ultimate host.

We packed in a lot in 48 hours. And that included a dinner in Santa Monica at a small little Italian restaurant (that only Ali and her sister, Emily, would know to take us to) and it just so happened that Woody Allen and Diane Keaton were there, as well as Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga! It was epic. And here are some of the other highlights in case you are interested - hat-tip to Ali on all of them....

• SQIRL ~ Breakfast - they are not kidding around about the ricotta toast at this place!
• Cafe Stella ~ Dinner - perfectly french cafe tucked in the very cool Silver Lake neighborhood. 
• The Farmer's Market ~ Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner - super cool and the original outdoor market in LA - you can wander the stalls. We got tacos at La Lotteria and they hit the spot!
• Giorgio Baldi ~ Dinner - little Italian place on a corner in Santa Monica and turns out is a gold mine! 
• Lincoln Pasadena ~ Breakfast/Lunch - super cool cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and perfect for a laid back bite (bonus: super cute looking store as well to window shop after!). 

On Saturday, we also ended up on quite the hike to get up and behind the Hollywood sign. It was a true hike, if you're interested, we hiked up Cahuenga Peak and then over to Mount Lee - more or less this same hike. And on Sunday, Ali and I went to check out the Rose Bowl Flea Market. Damn - that is huge and overwhelming. 

Not pictured and listed are drives through West Hollywood, Larchmont neighborhood and Brentwood. I also got to finally meet Ali's niece, Charlotte and catch up with Emily and Roy. 

weekend warrior.

I swear I'm not avoiding you - I just haven't been able to keep up with everything of late. But not to worry - lots of updates coming. This giant eyeball is from a quick trip to Dallas last week - how cool is that?

And in the meantime, happy weekend and some links to distract you for a little while - be back soon!

• I read this New Yorker Georgia O'Keefe piece before Santa Fe. It's a take on her style and an awesome read! 

• Who didn't love Maggie Gyllenhaal already? I love this about parenting her children in the Trump era...

• I don't really wear hats, but loving this JCrew classic ball cap! 

• We are headed to Walloon over the 4th of July and the countdown is on - Ben and I both are checking the live webcam regularly!

• More NoMa news - Politics and Prose announced it is opening in the Union Market lot - super exciting. 

• And on the other coast, Tartine is opening a Coffee Manufactory in Oakland! 

• Ben's brother, Adam, and his wife Christina - just welcome our nephew to the world last week - Sam - and this piece about raising a feminist son feel timely. 

travelogue ~ santa fe.

Two weekends ago, we made a quick trip to Santa Fe for some quality time with Emmy and Raffi (see previous post here). Emmy and Raffi had to be in Vegas for work and a couple months ago they suggested we pick a place and tack on a weekend while they were out west - we somehow landed on Santa Fe! It turned out to be quite the weekend because Raffi proposed to Emmy in Santa Fe the night before Ben and I got there, so we celebrated, admired Emmy's ring and talked all things wedding. It also turned out to be a very bizarre weather weekend - it snowed 8 inches on Saturday and had melted by Sunday morning. Nonetheless, we had a great time together and here is some of what we did...

But first, these two...

We swung through the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. It is small and if you have more time, you might consider going out to her house and studio, but we didn't have time - and for folks interested, this still provides a nice introduction and overview of O'Keefe's life and some of her work. 

We mosied down Canyon Road for a couple hours on Saturday (in the snow!). Canyon Road is lined with galleries and you can just wander in and out looking at amazing art. And on a beautiful day, it would be even more wonderful...

We also wandered around Santa Fe and the plaza. And I finally replaced a silver cuff bracelet I lost last year from one of the artisans at the plaza square.

And on Sunday, Emmy suggested we take a quick walk up Hillside Park to get a view of the surroundings. The park is just north of the main plaza.

Raffi and Emmy left late Sunday morning and Ben and i headed over to the Four Seasons because we needed to get a run in and wanted to relax. For those wondering, they have a great spa situation - we used the gym and sauna and grabbed a quick lunch with views of Santa Fe. Including below restaurants and other spots that we had pulled together while planning the weekend in case you are headed there any time soon. We stayed in this AirBnb just outside Santa Fe which worked out great. It was a wonderful weekend getaway.

Restaurants: Geronimo / Eloisa / Joseph's / Izanami / The Shed / Shake Foundation / The Pantry / Pasqual's 

Coffee: Ohori's Coffee

Bars/Cocktails: Secreto Lounge / Bell Tower Bar

Spas: Ten Thousand Waves / Four Seasons

Activities: Canyon Road / Santa Fe Plaza-Square / Georgia O'Keefe Museum / Bandelier National Monument / Santuaro de Chimayo /

Articles/Links: NYTimes 36 Hours

week's end.

Oh man, I am really ready for the weekend. What are your plans? We don't have all that much scheduled. We are, of course, going to MK's spinning class tomorrow and a long training run on Sunday morning. And we'll be watching the Final Four games tomorrow night and going to dinner up at my brother's in-law's house in Orinda on Sunday night. A nice and casual spring weekend...hope that you have something good planned!

And, for your weekend reading, here are some links of interest...

• Loving this throw - especially the price point on it. 

• Hannah - my sister-in-law - started a new blog all about her reads and you'll love it!

• This NYTimes Magazine piece from a couple weeks ago about public schools. 

• San Francisco Date Spots according to Eater.

• I really want to buy this side table for our patio. Thoughts?!

• We are a strong PB&J house - this is a great NPR spot. 

• Bay Area real-estate is nuts. Nuts!

• Mike sent me this song this week - happy listening!

another thursday.

Yikes! Sorry to keep you all hanging - busy couple weeks! Ben and I took a quick trip up to Tahoe last weekend to get some QT with Emmy and Raffi while they were there and to get a day of skiing in. It was just the fill of fresh air we both needed!

• This made me laugh - Gwyneth Paltrow is absurd.

• Here are this year's James Beard winners and La Taqueria won a James Beard!

• Just love these onesies - if you're in my life and having a baby - you're likely getting one!

• My birthday is on Sunday and all we have planned is a big Indian dinner so I can feast on butter chicken and naan - for those in SF - here is a map of indian food in the city!

• Sarah Hurwitz is the epitome of classy and awesome and this piece is a great read. 

• Sigh. Sheryl Sandberg. 

• Hitting far too close to home - read of the week. 

• Loving this dress - is it summer yet?!

monday mania.

It's Monday already. Brutal! But to start you off this week, here are some links to jump start the week....

• According to Test Kitchen, which Ben and I watched a little bit of this weekend, this is the best paper towel holder out there. 

• This Politico piece, Putin's Real Long Game, about Putin and Russia has been stuck in my head since I read it last week (hat tip to Ben for this recommended read). 

• This makes me love Wendy's. So great.

• I have a weak spot for pitchers - so here is a handsome looking one in case you need a gift at some point soon...

• NYTimes did a highlight piece on NoMa and Union Market in DC a couple weeks ago, here it is in all its glory - Historic Designation Sets Stage for a Washington Market District's Future. 

• Need some new recipes for 2017 - this Bon Appetit - 40 KitchenAid Recipes that Stand, Mix and Deliver should help with that. 

And last but not least, we are headed to Yosemite in two weeks to get away from the TV, avoid all things inauguration and to talk with the trees. If you have any recommendations - send my way, I would love to hear!

changing landscape.

Oh 2016. In the aftermath of the election, on a personal level for me and Ben, an underlying question and anxiety has been how this changes our long-term plans and goals, and very specifically, when will we move back to DC? Will we ever move back to DC? To be clear, we had no set time-line and this was not going to be an imminent return. We just got out to California and we are happy. But we also miss the east coast, and we have both felt we would head back east eventually - we just assumed it would be DC. That is no longer a foregone conclusion. When we were in NY, we debated whether a river town might be a new reality for us. So, who knows....

With all this said, we do really miss DC the city, so we were psyched to see the announcement that a new indian place, August 1 Five, is opening in SF and the chef was previously at Rasika! Can you say Palak Chaat? For anyone who knows DC and Rasika - this is huge news and this little piece of DC coming our way warms our hearts. DC we love you and miss you dearly - hang in there!

travelogue ~ austin.

I was in Austin last week for work and what an awesome little city. Most of the days were spent on work-related meetings but we did get out and about a little and here are some quick recommendations in case you are going any time soon...

• La Barbecue - great food truck and the owner used to be the pit-master at the renowned Franklins - I can report back that this BBQ was legit - highly recommend!

• Ruby's BBQ - tucked behind a gas station with lots of outdoor space in the back - this place was Texas cool (though La Barbecue was no question better) - this was a bbq experience - and outside of downtown. 

• ABGB - awesome craft beer, long tables and great pizza - loved this place and apparently it is a go-to for local Austinites. 

• Odd Duck - small plates with a cool, laid back but upscale vibe -- this was highly recommended to us as a must-stop and as long as you get BBQ in first, this was a great place! 

• Gourdough's Donuts - holy smokes these donuts are big and good. If you are looking to go big - this place has personality to boot. 

• Frank Restaurant - I loved this place. Who doesn't love a hot dog and $6 dollar dinner with Texas charm and personality and a down-home feel right downtown. Money spot!

• Parkside - we had a big team dinner here and I loved this place. The food is great and the feel and aesthetic is clear but cool. Would highly recommend for a formal, low key meal. 

Basically, all we did outside of meetings was eat, so I don't have activity recommendations (besides a fantastic morning run around the capitol pictured above!) - so for the next time in Austin....

sweet sweet green.

This is huge! A Sweet Green (the DC started and based salad restaurant) opened in SoMa this week. SF doesn't have a lot of low-dollar, good food options and I also regularly crave the Harvest bowl, so I could not be more excited about this announcement. A little piece of east coast DC has just landed down the road from us!

friday roundup.

It's finally Friday! My Mom is in town visiting and Ben and I are taking her away for the weekend for a getaway to Paso Robles. She loves car time and getting quality time with her kids individually and we figured this was the perfect birthday present for her this year. We are planning on cooking her a belated birthday meal and just enjoying her company with beautiful views and a new place for all of us.

And I thought I would also share a round-up of some interesting bits of late....hope you have a great weekend.

• This beautiful and tear-inducing piece in the NYTimes - A Letter to the Doctors and Nurses Who Cared for my Wife.

• Samantha Bee is the funniest person on tv right now and this segment - Maine's Personal Trump - hits a little too close to home!

• Loving this JCrew Toggle Cape and just waiting for it to go on big sale. 

• We can't wait to check out this new restaurant, The Morris, soon. And we are super excited about this indian place coming to the Mission soon!

• I am a sucker for old people and this just warms my heart - I hope it does for you too (hat tip to Ben!). 

SF: the inner mission.

Ben just passed his year mark here in SF and I am just over six months in. It has been a hectic, crazy, non-stop past year and a lot of that has been exploring and trying out as much as we can in the Bay area to get our bearings and take advantage of all the good food, activities and year-round weather!

Illustration by Gabriel Leonoudakis

Like any city, SF is cut up into neighborhoods and mini-cultures. Sussing out the personality of each neighborhood is interesting and challenging - not to mention the micro-climates we have to contend with. l figured I would start a series exploring different areas and neighborhoods and it only makes sense to start with our home base - the Inner Mission. So, get ready, here we go...

I'll start with the fact that in a city of hills, the Mission is flat. Thank the lord. It also is one of the warmest and sunniest parts of the city. Inside "The Mission" - you will here people refer to the Inner Mission, the Outer Mission, and Mission Dolores. The Mission has been a heavily Chicano/Latino area and the immigrant influence from Central and South America is still going strong. Having said that, more recently gentrification is steadily moving through the Mission and pushing the long-time residents out of the neighborhood because of skyrocketing prices.

Ben and I absolutely love the neighborhood. We love the location - so close to Dolores, Potrero, SoMa, Bernal Hill, downtown and in the other direction for our commutes, to Silicon Valley. We love the restaurants and variety, the fact that the neighborhood is holding onto some of its grit and history. We love the mix of people and languages on the street. We also love the food....

The Mission is packed with good food, here are some of our favorites for visitors and locals alike...

• Tartine Manufactory - it just opened last month and we could not be more thrilled. It has a beautiful and casual layout and to die for pastries. Expect a long (long!) line but tables turn fast. (Local Tip: You can also bypass the line and go straight in for a cup of coffee or grabbing a loaf of bread.)

• Farmhouse Kitchen - two words for you - Fried Chicken. This is not hyperbole when I say their fried chicken dish is one of the best thai dishes I have had. We love this place. It is casual, easy and putting out great food. 

• Flour + Water - we would tell you to go on a week night and sit at the bar. Not sure it deserves all the hype - but the pizzas are great, service is solid and they are certainly a staple in the city. 

• Stable Cafe - I love this place, it is charming and has a relaxed outdoor, garden area and who doesn't love a bright yellow door? For lunch, a pitstop or a quick snack - it is lovely and worth consideration. 

• DUM Indian Soul Food - this place is even newer than we are, and a welcomed addition to 24th street. I could eat indian all day, any day and this place hit the spot when we stopped in to try it out a couple weeks ago. 

• Jelly Donut - holy shit. If there is one thing you can count on me for, it is judging a good donut. This hole in the wall corner store on 24th has donuts that I dream about. I call them church donuts because they remind me of the ones we had growing up on sundays at church - perfectly cakey + hard frosting. You won't regret it. 

**Because you should know the good and the...less recommended, we would tell you to take a pass on Salumeria - overpriced and not as good as they say. 

• Sight Glass - this might be one of the best styled, curated coffee shops I know of. And if you are looking for a yuppie hook-up - this place is a gold mine. I recommend the Vanilla Cold Brew - you can't really go wrong. 

• The Coffee Bar - I have a soft spot for this place. I like their coffee, I appreciate their wifi, the crowd is varied and laid back, and the food isn't bad. It is a great little spot and I whiled away a good deal of time here when I was looking for a job. 

There are too many cool bars to list, here are a couple of our current favorites....

• Wildhawk - might just be our new favorite bar. The inside of it was designed by friends of ours and this is a classy, small, neighborhoody, upscale go to for a date night and a solid cocktail. We are big fans. 

• Evil Eye - this bar flies under the radar on Mission street and I'm not sure why. (Local Tip: Put your name in for dinner at Al's Place and then head over here for a cool spot to hang out with a great cocktail while you wait.)

• Trick Dog - almost too cool for school. It is loud in here and you probably will have to wait for a seat at the bar, but the menus and themes that they change on the regular are reason alone to check it out and the selection is great, bartenders know what they are doing and the drinks are on point. 

• Asiento - your perfect dive bar with trivia night on Mondays. If you close your eyes, squint hard and block out the mustaches and converses, you could be at a bar in NYC but the one with no pretense, great pint glasses and good beer.